Specialist divers from Marchwood's 17 Port and Maritime Regiment located "a lot of wreckage" posing a threat to the unit's specialist equipment as they took part in massive exercises in Albania.

The divers used buoys to mark the potential hazards and ensure the smooth operation of the British Army's exercise at an old Soviet naval base in Albania, before continuing their individual and team training exploring wreckages in Vlora Bay.

The 17 Port and Maritime Regiment have joined forces with British Army colleagues in Exercise Austere Wolf to establish a beachhead at Pasha Liman, before ferrying heavy equipment and vehicles onto solid ground from their cargo vessel.

Dive team sets course for their first exercise of the dayDive team sets course for their first exercise of the day (Image: Alfie House)

'Debris and issues'

An initial landing phase secured a safe perimeter before a dive team followed to survey any dangers hidden under the waterline.

The Regiment currently has a team of eight divers based in Marchwood Military Port but has leaned into support from the 21 Engineer Regiment, with two from the Yorkshire-based unit joining the 17 in Albania.

READ MORE: Soldiers turn 'beacah into a fort' in Albania in just a day

The wrecks could have posed a risk to the Mexefloat ferries used to take equipment from the ro-ro cargo ship to shore.

Corporal Kazim Jones told the Daily Echo: "We found debris and some issues over there but we've managed to mark up the obstructions and objects. That was quite a lot of wreckage so we have marked it up just for the Mexe to be able to stay clear from that.

Corporal Kazim Jones speaks to the Echo ahead of a routine 10 metre dive to explore a wrecked ship in the naval baseCorporal Kazim Jones speaks to the Echo ahead of a routine 10 metre dive to explore a wrecked ship in the naval base (Image: Alfie House)

"There is a lot around this area actually, it's quite interesting because I've never dived in an area like this. There are a lot of wrecks so while the seabed is just rocky bottoms, sand and coral reefs, as you come closer to the shore there are a lot of old metals, rocks and pylons.

"I've been doing this for about eight years now. I passed my initial divers course back in 2017, about a year after I joined the military and I absolutely love the role. I love the guys that I work with, the team dynamic is fantastic and the trips and the opportunities as well."

Diving is a dual-trade in the British Army with each diver having their separate primary role and the diving qualification on top. There are three qualifications from basic Army Diver Team training to Advanced and Supervisor levels to progress through.

In addition to surveying the environment, the diving team can use heavy cutting machinery to dismantle and remove debris if merely marking its location is unsatisfactory. The Daily Echo attended as the team kitted up to perform training in and around a rusted shipwreck around 10 metres below the water.

"We've been doing some current training, Emergency Operating Procedures and Standard Operating Procedures, which is something we need to do as divers every six or 12 months to keep up," Corporal Jones explained.

'Tasty' food keeps morale up

The divers were fuelled up by the first lunch served out of the fully operational field kitchen that had been set up as part of the exercise the previous day. A full English breakfast had made its way out of every soldier's favourite tents earlier that morning.

A corned beef lasagna, some kind of frittata and a vegetarian version of the lasagna were on the menu for all servicemen and women - but we opted to try the spicy chilli beef, served on a flatbread with potato cakes and egg-fried rice.

READ MORE: Marchwood troops part of massive military exercises

The chefs are issued boxes with 10 different meals worth of ingredients but it is up to them to cook up a varied feed and keep morale up in the camp. And although the meals may not come out looking like Michelin star winners, they are surprisingly tasty and effective.

Sergeant John Antony, 17 Regiment's field kitchen catering manager, said: "We take top pride in what we serve and it is my job to keep us all accountable. Eventually, people are going to get tired but it's about making sure we hold everything to that same standard.

Sergeant John Antony, 17 Regiment's field kitchen catering manager on Exercise Austere WolfSergeant John Antony, 17 Regiment's field kitchen catering manager on Exercise Austere Wolf (Image: Alfie House)

"We are on show three times a day and they will always remember that one bad meal! A lasagna is a favourite - it's easy to make for us but it's a game changer. We have got the flour and the yeast to make good garlic bread. Pies are always a winner, and rice puddings for desserts."

The environment provides obvious challenges for the field kitchen staff - besides long hours even for Army personnel in tents made sweltering by the ovens, swarms of local mosquitos and other insects race to the kitchen lights when the night shift begins.

'We are proud to be Gurkhas'

One of the last units to receive their equipment from the Ro-Ro vessel was Operational Hygiene. Alongside the chefs and caterers, these troops find themselves popular. They are responsible for washing everyone's kit once a week and provide hot showers for up to 60 people an hour.

Bundles of weapons were transferred from a container on the Mexefloat to an abandoned warehouse turned workshop for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers while a few hundred yards up the road from the base were camped a special group of soldiers.

The field communications provided by the Royal Signals in-base are limited in range so communications are pinged to a Gurkha unit to be transmitted further - exercising a crucial link required in battle for forces to collaborate effectively and take decisive actions.

Gurkha Signals units establish an effective communications link with the rest of the exerciseGurkha Signals units establish an effective communications link with the rest of the exercise (Image: Alfie House)

Enjoying his eighth year in the Queen's Gurkha Signals, Suraj Thapa said: "We are supporting 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, it is a big logistical movement and all the communications they want to send back and forth to the UK and other deployed regiments here come through us." 

The Queen's Gurkha Signals celebrated their 75th anniversary in service of the British Army on Monday, with two units of the fiercely trained Nepalese servicemen on the ground in Albania providing crucial communication to higher command based in Italy for this exercise.

Bubin Gurung added: "For me and a lot of Ghurkas back in Nepal, it is a family thing. I am the fourth generation - that is one motivation, and secondly, we are proud to be Ghurkas. It is a long history of serving with the British Army - we celebrated 200 years in 2015."